We have some important planetary shifts happening within hours of each other on the Winter Solstice, which makes it a a powerful time magically, but be ready to run with some wild energy. Here’s what’s happening: on December 21, Uranus stations direct (changes its apparent direction of movement in the sky) at 5:46 PM (all times EST). The Sun shifts into Capricorn, marking Solstice at 6:04 PM, and then at 8:37 PM we have a New Moon — which is, of course, right on the degree of the Solstice. Saturn is at the final (critical) degree of Scorpio, getting ready to move into Sagittarius on the 23rd. And, of course, the square between Uranus and Pluto is still very close to exact. Whew! But this confluence of planetary energy gives us a variety of options in working magic. (You can find the chart for the Solstice here.)

The Winter Solstice marks the time when the Sun reaches its most southern point in the sky — the Tropic of Capricorn. It is the time in the Sun’s cycle that is analogous to a New Moon. This powerful day gives us an opportunity to work on a Dark Moon and Sun in high-minded Sagittarius for deep inner work or to eliminate something from our lives. Or we can wait to fire up the cauldron until everything has shifted, the Sun has returned, and the newly-born Sun and Moon have joined the other planets in practical, manifesting Capricorn. In the New Moon chart, five planets are packed into the first fifteen degrees of Capricorn. That is some earthy energy we can put to use for building, manifesting and organizing, as well as setting clear boundaries. It’s intensified by Uranus prodding us for growth and change as it is standing still in the sky. A planet stationing (direct or retrograde) marks an intensification of the planet’s energy, and unpredictable, electrifying, break-the-rules Uranus always makes a pointed statement.

Do you remember the story of Odysseus, who had to navigate his ship between the six-headed sea monster, Scylla, and the whirlpool Charybdis? I suspect quite a few of us will be feeling that energy in our lives soon, if we aren’t already, and, as with Odysseus, the only option is to make a choice. Figuring out what action to take means we need to take time to reflect — but not too much time, because events will call us to take action. You’ll need to steer a careful, attentive course through the choices that are presented to you in the upcoming weeks.

The planetary alignment that is energizing these navigational hazards is the station of Saturn and Uranus within less than half a degree of an inconjunct (150 degree) aspect with each other, July 20-21. Saturn in Scorpio is stationing direct, Uranus in Aries, retrograde. The inconjunct is not one of the most powerful aspects, but it packs a punch, and this close, with these two powerful planets almost motionless in the sky and in tight aspect for over a month, I expect it to shake things up a bit. Jupiter will also have moved into Leo a few days before the planetary stations, and Mercury will be out of its shadow from the last retrograde, joined by Venus in Cancer.So the overall energy is going to change fairly dramatically in mid-July.

The chart cast for the moment of the Winter Solstice — when the Sun enters Capricorn — is predictive for the three months ahead, and when the chart is cast for the capital of a country, it is predictive for that entire country. As we spiral in towards the next solsticial shift — from dark to light here in the northern hemisphere, and from light to dark in the southern — we are caught up in planetary energies that demand change, and change often demands the destruction of the old before the new is birthed. It is the light within us — our inner Sun — that gives us the vision, energy, courage and strength to build anew in a world in which hi-tech warfare, critical levels of environmental pollution, catastrophic climate change and resource depletion promise a future very different from our present. The challenges are clear, and the Solstice chart offers us insight into the personal and spiritual strategies we can use to meet these challenges with grace, compassion, and courage.

The New Moon eclipse coming up on November 3rd is profound and transformative. The effects of a solar eclipse are more far-reaching and longer lasting than a regular New Moon, beginning a month or so before the actual event, and lasting for up to 18 months. This one will have us digging deeply into our psyches or projecting our shadows for some time to come. As I mentioned in my last post, there is an ongoing gathering of planets in Scorpio, the sign of transformation and secrets, sex and death, power and wealth, and they are all tied into the dramatic and revolutionary Uranus-Pluto square. The eclipse chart takes a picture right at the height of this wild party. There are some observations and cautions to be drawn from the chart from a national point of view — when cast for Washington, DC, the chart has the Scorpio stellium in the twelfth house, with Mars and Neptune in a wide opposition across the MC/IC axis — and I’ll discuss those, but the chart also offers considerable insight on a more personal level.

One of the first things that jumps out of this chart is a complete lack of planets in Air, and a considerable emphasis on Water. Mercury is also retrograde, and in a Water sign. This subdues communication, information exchange, and the open and rational discussion of ideas, while giving free rein to the expression of emotion and the imposition of material authority through the close cooperation of the three authoritarian planets, Mars, Saturn and Pluto. Saturn and Pluto relate to karmic issues in a chart, as does the sign of Scorpio, which is ruled by Mars and Pluto. A lot of us are going to be looking at karmic issues coming home to roost, and struggles on an emotional level that can be exhausting because they are rooted in childhood or past life experiences. We may feel like we’ve been thrown overboard into the waters of deep feeling, and can’t find an island of logic and perspective on which to rest.

The Autumn Equinox is coming up this weekend, so this is a good time to look ahead to the rest of the year, since (as you know if you’ve been reading this blog) charts of the solstices and equinoxes, also called cardinal ingress charts, are predictive for the quarter ahead.

The chart of the Autumn Equinox (Libra Ingress) speaks loudly of conflict, of the outward expression of strongly-held feelings, emphatic action, of resistance and of change. The important Ascendent and Midheaven rulers of the chart are our current starring couple, Uranus and Pluto, who are just about to form the fourth exact square of seven between the years of 2012 and 2015. This deeply transformative aspect will drive and demand change from each of us, and actively transformative energies will be particularly high during this quarter. (Astrology ahead: note that Mars is strongly activated in this chart — happily ensconced in a fire sign, strongly placed in the seventh house conjunct the Descendent, dispositing AS ruler Uranus, as well as Saturn and Venus. It co-rules the Scorpio MC, and is at the focal point of a T-square.There is a multiple T-square in the fixed signs involving the Ascendent, Mars, Moon, Venus, Saturn and the Moon’s Node.)

One of the primary aspects in the chart (the T-square) suggests that we are going to be seeing a lot of high-handed action, autocratic behavior and displays of ego (Mars in Leo) in the world around us over the next few months, and needless to say, we are also personally at risk of behaving in similar ways, or being victimized by such behavior. To avoid that, we’ll need to consciously choose to be aware of our mental and emotional states, actively work to stay balanced, and keep our personal boundaries strong. If you are going to take any possibly life-altering actions during this time, be sure to look carefully at all the ramifications, particularly emotional ramifications, and consider the opinions of others before making a fully thought out decision based on your personal values. Be canny and aware of the undercurrents in situations. You may want to play your cards close to your chest, but it’s important not to be in any way underhanded. You will also want to accurately assess whether or not you have the resources to do the things you want to do.

In my last post, I looked at how we can utilize the energy of Uranus in Aries in a positive way. In this post, I’ll do the same with the other arm of the Uranus-Pluto square — Pluto in Capricorn.

There is an underlying structure to any society — a system of laws, rules, regulations, limits, and taboos that are needed for the smooth operation of human social interactions — the roads and bridges that get us from one place to another, the procedures we use in conducting business, the laws we make to regulate human behaviors, and the invisible structures of cultural expectations.There is an underlying structure to any individual life — a system to fulfill the necessities of food and shelter, demands of family, tribe and society, moral and religious strictures, and of course, the cultural expectations that both support and bind us.

Most of us believe that these systems — or some other systems — are required for the good of all, that without laws, rules, regulations and structures, our civilization would descend into violent chaos. Some of us note that our global civilization — despite reams and terabytes of laws, rules and regulations — is remarkably violent and chaotic, business and government are frequently and blatantly unprincipled and manipulative, we are poisoning our own nest, and many of the systems we have in place support and encourage this kind of suicidal, homicidal and ecocidal behavior. There must, we think, be a better way. There must be indeed, because Pluto’s in Capricorn, and everything we thought we knew about the structures in our lives is likely to change.